268 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 
in the centre, which was well filled with fish of a variety of species; 
among these were some fine mullet. There is no fresh water on the 
island, and neither pandanus nor cocoa-nut trees. It has upon it the 
shrubs which are usually found on the low islands of the Pacific, the 
most abundant of which was the Tournefortia. Mr. Peale found here 
the short-tailed albatross, and procured an egg from its nest. The 
birds were quite tame, although they were not so numerous as we had 
before met with on uninhabited islands. 
The time of low water took place at one o’clock, and the moon 
entered its last quarter on the same day: the tide was setting along the 
shore of the island with much strength to the westward ; the rise and 
fall was three feet. From appearances, the island must be at times 
submerged, or the sea makes a complete breach over it; the appearance 
of the coral blocks and of all the vegetation leads to this conclusion, for 
they have a very decided inclination to the eastward, showing also that 
the violent winds or rush of the water, when the island is covered, are 
from the westward. The reef around this island is very small in extent. 
The position of Wake’s Island was found by my observations of 
equal altitudes on shore to be in longitude 166° 31' 30" E.,and latitude 
19° 10' 54" N. 
By four o’clock, p. m., all the boats had returned on board, when we 
filled away and proceeded on our course to the westward. Although 
these coral islands resemble one another very strongly, yet they afforded 
us some recreation for a few hours, and much satisfaction in obtaining 
series of observations in magnetism. Our visit to Wake’s Island gave 
us an opportunity of adding to our collections in natural history. 
In the evening we steered to pass over the position of Halcyon 
Island,—longitude 163° 30' E., latitude 19° 13' N.; and on the 27th, 
we passed immediately over its locality, and had run on its supposed 
parallel fifty miles on each side of it, but nothing was seen of it. We 
now felt the current to the southeast twelve miles in the twenty-four 
hours. 
Folger’s Island next claimed my attention : it is said to lie in longi¬ 
tude 155° 19' E., latitude 18° 21' N. This position was passed over, 
but the inquiry resulted as the others had, in a fruitless search. 
I now bore away for Grigan, the northernmost of the inhabited 
Ladrone or Marian Islands, which w r e made on the 29th December, at 
7 a. m., bearing south-southwest. As we approached these islands, we 
had experienced a strong current to the northward and westward; and 
the wind had also veered to the southward and westward. 
At midnight, we discovered the island of Assumption, bearing north¬ 
east-by-east. 
